The present invention relates to exercise methods and apparatus and more particularly, to exercise equipment which facilitates exercise through a curved path of motion.
Exercise equipment has been designed to facilitate a variety of exercise motions. For example, treadmills allow a person to walk or run in place; stepper machines allow a person to climb in place; bicycle machines allow a person to pedal in place; and other machines allow a person to skate and/or stride in place. Yet another type of exercise equipment has been designed to facilitate relatively more complicated exercise motions and/or to better simulate real life activity. Such equipment typically converts a relatively simple motion, such as circular, into a relatively more complex motion, such as elliptical.
One shortcoming of these prior art elliptical motion exercise machines is that a direct relationship exists between the length of foot travel and the height of foot travel. In other words, an adjustment which would increase the length of foot travel necessarily increases the height of foot travel, as well. Unfortunately, this fixed aspect ratio is contrary to real life activity. In particular, a person does not lift his legs higher and higher to take strides which are longer and longer. Therefore, a need exists for an improved elliptical motion exercise machine which does not impose an unnatural aspect ratio between stride length and stride height.
The present invention may be seen to provide a novel linkage assembly and corresponding exercise apparatus suitable for linking circular motion to relatively more complex, generally elliptical motion. Left and right cranks are rotatably mounted on a frame and provide axially extending supports which are disposed a crank diameter apart from one another. Left and right foot supporting linkages are movably interconnected between the frame and respective crank supports in such a manner that rotation of the cranks is linked to movement of left and right foot supports through a vertical range of motion which is shorter than the crank diameter and through a horizontal range of motion which is longer than the crank diameter.
In another respect, the present invention may be seen to provide a novel linkage assembly and corresponding exercise apparatus suitable for linking reciprocal motion to relatively more complex, generally elliptical motion. For example, left and right handlebar links may be rotatably connected to the frame and linked to at least one link in the linkage assembly. As the foot supports move through their generally elliptical paths, the handlebars pivot back and forth relative to the frame.
In yet another respect, the present invention may be seen to provide a novel linkage assembly and corresponding exercise apparatus suitable for adjusting the angle of the generally elliptical paths of motion relative to a floor surface on which the apparatus rests. For example, the part of the frame which supports the foot supporting linkages and/or the handlebars may be selectively locked in any of a plurality of positions relative to an underlying base on the floor surface.
In still another respect, the present invention may be seen to provide a novel linkage assembly and corresponding exercise apparatus suitable for adjusting the configuration of the generally elliptical paths of motion. For example, a bar in each of the foot supporting linkages may be adjusted relative to a respective handlebar or another bar in the same linkage to alter its affect on a respective foot support. Many of the advantages of the present invention may become apparent from the more detailed description that follows.